


Scattered Lives

by Esperata



Series: A Picture Tells... [6]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Developing Relationship, First Time, Humor, M/M, Sharing Clothes, Sharing a Room
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-12-20 06:37:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11915235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Esperata/pseuds/Esperata
Summary: One thing leads to another and suddenly the discussion of spare clothes is important.





	Scattered Lives

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Fess Up, McCoy!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11779542) by [StellarLibraryLady](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StellarLibraryLady/pseuds/StellarLibraryLady). 



> Reading "Fess Up, McCoy!" and StellarLibraryLady prompted me to write about the clothing issues between Spock and McCoy. So here we are.

The first time he left any clothes there, it really wasn’t thought through.

One minute they’d been stood arguing in the corridor and the next they were in Spock’s quarters with the Vulcan hastily pulling McCoy’s shirts over his head.

Spock would later claim this was logical as McCoy himself was seemingly having far too much difficulty over a task with which he should have been adequately familiar.

McCoy would point out his own hands had been otherwise occupied.

Either way, the clothes had ended up sprawled across the room from doorway to bed and were in no state to be worn the next morning.

Spock had agreed to retrieve a spare uniform from the doctor’s quarters while McCoy waited wrapped in a Vulcan robe.

Although the doctor would claim he’d been chilly (despite the higher than average temperature in the Vulcan’s quarters), Spock had recognised the human was self-conscious about being naked in his presence in the cool light of day.

They had not spoken of the matter after going their separate ways and it was highly possible that state of affairs might have continued much longer had not Spock realised he should really return the abandoned clothing.

He’d anticipated the awkward reception as he arrived at the doctor’s door with the carefully piled set of clothes. It was also not surprising that the doctor let him in rather than conduct the exchange in full view of the corridor.

He was at a loss to explain how that awkwardness led to a repeat occurrence, albeit in the doctor’s quarters this time.

The following morning, Spock was legitimately cold as he sat wrapped in a blanket awaiting McCoy’s return from a visit to fetch a uniform from his own quarters.

It was only for this reason that he archly suggested any such future encounters should transpire in his rooms.

He certainly hadn’t intended that to be construed as an invite.

But he also certainly wasn’t going to turn the good doctor away when he later appeared in his doorway.

This time was thought through as the doctor had brought a change of clothes with him.

For some reason though he still chose to wear Spock’s spare meditation robe before he utilised the sonic and dressed for the day.

It became something of a routine.

So much so that even when the human was too exhausted to do anything other than fall fast asleep, he still staggered up to Spock’s door. The Vulcan stripped him even as he started to snore softly.

Unfortunately, the unpremeditated nature of the visit necessitated another sneak visit by Spock to McCoy’s quarters in the morning for clothing. The idea struck him while he was there and he returned with an additional uniform to keep ‘in case’.

That seemed to initiate a new stage to their unofficial relationship and other items began appearing in Spock’s quarters.

Necessities such as dental sonic and retinax were joined by less important daily care items. The doctor’s own brand of shampoo appeared to sit beside Spock’s detangle spray.

Additional PADDs gathered, coded for sickbay rather than the science labs, and a small mint plant was sat unobtrusively by the replicator.

More esoteric items also arrived to baffle the Vulcan.

McCoy had his own calisthenics routine. Usually he visited the gym but he kept some useful equipment in his quarters for when he didn’t have time.

Spock was bemused the first time he saw the ab wheel but he was fascinated the first time he saw McCoy use it. 

Of course the give away was the bottle of whiskey sat neatly on the shelf.

As soon as Jim saw the label he smirked at Spock and asked just how long he and the doctor had been bunking up together.

Spock saw no reason to lie to the captain and answered honestly. This precipitated another rant of ‘why do you have to be so blasted honest!’ and McCoy only truly calmed down when Jim stopped by with a holo-picture as a house warming gift.

It was a rare picture of the doctor and First Officer talking happily at a formal event.

The holo was soon joined by others from the doctor’s quarters, officially declaring his status as co-resident.

It was at this point that Spock decided some ground rules should be declared.

McCoy was still in the habit of littering the floor with his clothes. When this process directly involved Spock, the Vulcan didn’t mind clearing up afterwards. However when this happened in the interval between the doctor’s arrival and Spock’s own arrival, he felt McCoy could pick up his own things.

McCoy retaliated to this comment by suggesting Spock could show more consideration when choosing whose undershirt, or indeed underpants, to wear that day.

Spock’s retort that they were identical so what did it matter led to an argument about the nature of property in a relationship.

They finally agreed that Spock could wear whichever underthings he wished so long as McCoy could still borrow his Vulcan meditation robes. The doctor got a trifle defensive when Spock offered to buy him his own robes so Spock relented and agreed his own would be available. For some reason this seemed preferable to the human.

It still left the argument over strewn clothes unresolved.

The next day when Spock got back late he was very nearly irritated to find the doctor’s socks just inside the doorway.

He then saw the blue medical smock only feet away and huffed out a breath as he gathered that up too. It was as he saw the black undershirt in the bedroom doorway that he looked about for the doctor to rebuke him.

He only saw him after stooping to collect the black shirt and noticing the trousers draped on the end of his bed.

His eyes followed the length of the garment up to the toes playing with the waistband.

Suddenly he was disappointed the human hadn’t also discarded his boxers.

But that was easily remedied.


End file.
